2008 Rielle Chardonnay, on the vine

Sonoma growers face nervous wait

http://www.decanter.com/news/300816.html

Wine growers on the Sonoma Coast and in the Russian River Valley face a nail-biting wait to discover if 2010 will be a great vintage – or ruined by rain.

A low pressure system sitting off California's north coast has created highly unusual weather conditions in the area this summer, with coastal fogs and temperatures in the 60s and 70s Fahrenheit, rather than the more normal 80s and 90s.

As a result, grapes have ripened slowly, giving the potential for exceptional quality – but growers are concerned that they might not be able to finish the harvest before the onset of October rain.

'We pride ourselves on growing grapes in the cool climate of the Russian River Valley,' said John Erbe, viticulturalist at J Vineyards & Winery, which farms throughout the Russian River Valley.

'But this cold summer weather has put the brakes on a harvest that typically would have already started.'

Speaking last week, Erbe said veraison was only now taking place in most of the company's Pinot Noir vineyards, leaving another 30-45 days before a likely harvest date, some 2-3 weeks later than usual.

But he added: 'Our concerns will ease should a warmer summer weather pattern arrive.'

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2011770215_wine06.html

Female wine drinkers overtake men — who still get the wine list

Only 13 women are certified as master sommeliers out of 130 worldwide.

Bloomberg News

By John Mariani

I was surprised to read that 53 percent of wine drinkers in the United States are women, according to the Wine Market Council. And last year, women matched men as "core drinkers," those who drink wine at least once a week.

That trend may accelerate if women heed the results of a recent survey of 20,000 women over 13 years by Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. The poll showed that women who regularly drink a moderate amount of alcohol, particularly red wine, are less likely to have long-term weight gain than non-drinkers.

Nevertheless, when a man and a woman sit down to dinner in a restaurant, it's usually the guy who grabs or is handed the wine list and chooses the bottle.

Wine May Reduce Both the Risk and Severity of Arthritis

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/43326

A U.K. study finds people who drink more than 10 days a month are less likely to develop the painful disease

Jacob Gaffney
Posted: August 9, 2010

A new study suggests that regular alcohol consumption decreases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis and can lessen the symptoms of the disease for those who already suffer from it. The authors of the study, a team of doctors at the University of Sheffield U.K., caution that the results are limited, but the findings could lead to valuable new research for limiting this painful, often disabling condition.

Arthritis affects an estimated 1 percent of the world's population, attacking joints with painful inflammation. The cause is unknown. Moderate consumption of alcohol is known to help reduce inflammation, and previous studies have shown that alcohol can reduce the risk of arthritis in rodents.

Crush Barrel Wine Market Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 12:00pm

Fort Mason, Fleet Room Building D Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St. (99 Marina Blvd. San Francisco 94123) San Francisco, CA 94123

Saturday September 25th, 12:00 - 5:00pm http://vinomoda.com/event/crush-barrel/ The Crush Barrel Wine Market is the first of its kind to offer the consumers $10 instant rebate towards the purchase of wine. This one day indoor event takes place at Fort Mason Fleet Room Building D. Northern California’s premiere wine tasting & wine market, celebrating the Bay Area’s vintners, food purveyors, specialty vendors, live music and more. Lauic Paiva a Brazilian Singer & Acoustic Guitar Player, with a very sweet voice, she creates a delightful tropical atmosphere everywhere she performs, making everybody feel like they are on some beautiful sunny beach in Brazil. Event Information: Location: Fort Mason, Fleet Room Building D Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St. (99 Marina Blvd. San Francisco 94123) San Francisco, CA 94123 When: September 25th, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Live Music: Laucia Paiva & Brian Byrnes - Bossa Nova ( Brazilian Jazz ) & “MPB” Popular Music is her style, singing many hits from famous Brazilian Composers and Singers, like Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Joao Bosco, Vinicius de Moraes, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Elis Regina, Marisa Monte and many others.

How Red Wine May Shield Brain from Stroke Damage: Researchers Discover Pathway in Mice for Resveratrol's Apparent Protective Effect

ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2010) — Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have discovered the way in which red wine consumption may protect the brain from damage following a stroke. Click on this link for the rest of the article

HR 5034: An Analysis April 22, 2010 by David Honig

Link to palate press: http://palatepress.com/2010/04/hr-5034-an-analysis/

This is a very well written analysis of HR 5034!!!

5 questions for Robert Parker

This blog entry by Steve Heimoff is a very informative discussion of wine reviews. It discusses how wines are reviewed: blind or open and shows how the wine industry is pressured by the reviewers scores. When a reviewer tastes with the winemaker at the winery and subsequently reviews the wine it is not an objective review at all. An objective review is performed blind (the reviewer doesn't know who produced the wine). Make sure you know how the review was performed and whether or not the reviewer purchased the wine or if it was given to them by the winery.

Here is the link: http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/04/22/5-questions-for-robert-parker/

Be sure to read the comments.

It is critical that wine reviews are performed blind in a controlled environment with purchased samples. This produces an unbiased evaluation of the wine.

As a winemaker I hold monthly tastings where we taste our wines along with others we have purchased in order to get a feel for the marketplace and our position in it. We do everything we can to keep it blind and unbiased, otherwise it is a pointless exercise.

Care Enough to Kill HR 5034?

Care about wine? Care about your local small farmers and vineyards? Please contact your member of Congress and express your opposition to House Bill HR 5034: The Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness (CARE) Act of 2010. At best, this is junk law; at worst it’s an end-run around the direct shipping movement. Wine Spectator states, “The battle over whether consumers can order wine directly from wineries is moving to the halls of the U.S. Capitol. Members of Congress yesterday introduced a bill (HR 5034) that could end direct shipping of wine and other forms of alcohol in the United States, or at least put major roadblocks in front of lawsuits by consumers and wineries trying to reduce restrictions on direct shipping.”

If you don’t know who your Representative is, click here to get the address and phone number of your member of Congress. If you want to send an email, check their individual website. (And if you’re not registered to vote, now’s a great time to contact the Registar of Voters to sign up. If you don’t vote, you can’t bitch. Just sayin’.) Make a Wine Harlot happy. Care enough to get friendly with your Congressman this week.

http://wineharlots.com/wordpress/?p=3927

Stop HR 5034 The Anti Consumer Wine Bill

House Resolution 5034 is by far the most audacious attempt ever by America's beer, wine and spirit wholesalers to takeover complete and total control of the country's alcohol beverage market and, in the process, create circumstances in all fifty states that assure consumers only have access to the slim number of wines to which wholesalers decide consumers ought to have access. But perhaps most sinister is the fact that if H.R. 5034 passes, it will put out of business an entire swath of America's artisan wineries.

http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2010/04/stop-hr-5034the-anticonsumer-wine-bill.html

An End to Wine Direct Shipping???

Wholesalers and states convince Congress to consider new legislation to prevent direct-shipping lawsuits in a campaign to protect the three-tier system

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/42526

Rielle Event Calendar

Click on this link for the links to the following events:



Fri Apr 23, 2010
5pm - 7pm Sheraton Petaluma

Sat May 1, 2010
Angel Island Wine Fest

Sat May 15, 2010
Tiburon Wine Fest

Sat Jun 5, 2010 –Sunday June 6, 2010
Infineon Raceway Historic Motorsports Festival

Thu Jun 10, 2010 – Sat June 12, 2010
Monterey Wine Festival

Sat Jun 19, 2010
CigarBQ

Sun Jun 27, 2010
Mill Valley Food and Wine Festival

Rielle at Petaluma Sheraton

Rielle to pour at Petaluma Sheraton, Friday 4/23/10, 5-7

Rielle New Bottlings

Rielle just finished bottling our 2008 Sonoma County Zinfandel and Chardonnay. We will be releasing these wines soon. Sign up on our mailing list to be notified when they are available.

Rielle Wines Pouring at Petaluma Sheraton 3/5/10 & 3/12/10

Rielle will be pouring at the Petaluma Sheraton friday 3/5 from 5:00 to 7:00pm and friday 3/12 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm

Petaluma Sheraton Website

745 Baywood Drive
Petaluma, CA 94954
(707) 283-2888

Come try our wines, we will be pouring:

Rielle 2007 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay

Rielle 2007 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

Rielle 2006 Sonoma County Red Wine, a blend of cab sauv and syrah

Rielle Wines Pouring at Pacific Orchid Expo Gala Nite 2/26/10

It is time to escape and enjoy an evening of beauty and fun. For the first time, the Gala Benefit will take place on Friday night. This prestigious fundraiser will provide a valuable chance for participants to view and purchase award winning orchids from 50 national and international nurseries and hybridists. This glorious evening celebrates the mission of the San Francisco Orchid Society and their efforts to enrich the public through Orchids and Orchid cultivation. Monies raised at the Gala go to theConservatory of Flowers, the Helen Crocker Russell Horticultural Library, and a scholarship for a horticultural student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Click on this link for more information.